Behind the Scenes of Public Speaking

Speech of Significance

The speech of significance is the first graded speech in our public speaking class. The purpose of the speech is to raise awareness about the topic and why it is important to the audience. The significance of the topic might include social, economic, political, ethical, or other factors. For example, a student researching domestic violence in Georgia, might find there are significant physical, emotional and economic reasons for pursuing this topic.

The speech of significance is very short, 3 — 4 minutes. Therefore, students must stay focused on two or three reasons the topic is important. The speech must be concise. Later, in the informative and persuasive speeches, students will develop the main points in depth.

Finally, let me suggest that students approach the speech of significance with this goal in mind: at the conclusion of the speech, the audience wants to know more about the topic.

In the speech of significance below, Ashley first explains the provisions of Georgia House Bill 89, and then argues that the bill has important implications for public safety and crime. After listening to the speech, you may want to view the speaker’s full–sentence outline. Additionally, if you are a beginning student of public speaking, you may want to view this same speech with text overlays identifying the main elements of the speech.